If you asked someone what they know about the history of airplanes, they'd probably blurt out something about the Wright brothers and Kitty Hawk, NC. But the people behind the Kansas Aviation Museum know that their home state was right on the heels of North Carolina. Within five years of the Wrights' maiden voyage, Kansans had started launching their own aircraft—and had a successful flight within seven.

At the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita, you can learn all about these early airplanes and see many real-life examples of the crafts that came next. One such example is the 1927 swallow, a black aircraft with sunshine-yellow wings that actually crash-landed in 1929. Museum volunteers restored it to its former glory, though, so that you could get a glimpse up close. There are also more modern planes, such as the Boeing 737-200. This aircraft soared through the skies from 1977 until the early 2000s, working as both a private and public jet.

Kansas Aviation Museum
3350 South George Washington Boulevard
Wichita, KS 67210
(316) 683-9242
kansasaviationmuseum.org
www.yelp.com/biz/kansas-aviation-museum-wichita